Problems with Latin America - starting with drugs, immigration, trade and, of course, Cuba - are only a minor distraction in Washington. That's because the diplomatic oxygen is soaked up by two wars, North Korea, Iran and the perennial Mideast perils of Israel.

None of these familiar conflicts will go away soon. But with a change in the White House, maybe the radar screen can widen to include the Southern Hemisphere. These countries are a source of a third of U.S. oil imports, half the foreign-born residents here and a fifth of this nation's overseas trade. These are vital links that can't be ignored.

If there's going to be a new take on the topic, policymakers should consider the advice put forward by a panel of experienced diplomats from this country and Latin America assembled by the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank. The authors include Ernesto Zedillo, the former president of Mexico, and Thomas Pickering, a veteran diplomat who's served at the United Nations, the State Department and in overseas posts.

Their advice, much of it contrary to present policy, won't be embraced overnight, even by the new White House crew. But the suggestions should set a course for gradual change in a neglected area.

Already, one part of the report has drawn instant attention: opening up to Cuba. The report suggests change in a big way: open travel and communications plus the free flow of U.S. dollars wired to poor relatives on the island. Trade should be encouraged and Cuba taken off the list of terrorist sponsors.

The net result would be a quiet storm of U.S. influence that could propel democracy far better than the present embargo implemented more than 50 years ago. Younger Cuban Americans here and Cubans in their homeland both want to upset the diplomatic cart, the report argued.

Sensible as that sounds, it's hard to see a quick pivot on Cuba. Both Havana and Washington are cemented with you-change-first positions, demanding that the other side take major steps before responding. But the report writers believe the restless undercurrent brought on by a younger generation on both sides could be tapped by President-elect Barack Obama, who should begin the process of unwinding old policies.

The study didn't dodge other tough subjects. The drug war, which consumes billions of law enforcement dollars, is a flop, the authors said. U.S. drug use remains unchanged, and the problems of addiction and crime have spread across supply-trail countries. For example, 4,000 police, drug-gang members and bystanders were slain in Mexico over the past year while drug use rose in the country.

Though short on direct advice, the report underlines the obvious. For every arrest or seizure, quick-adapting drug gangs have set up new growing areas or alternative routes to the U.S. border. Demand on the U.S. side is a strong and, so far, unstoppable magnet.

There's another powerful incentive for change. Russia and China are prowling the landscape for allies and trading partners. The itinerary is widening from the usual stops in Cuba and Venezuela to include Brazil, the southern continent's powerhouse economy. Washington shouldn't ignore this surge in rival-power interest in its traditional backyard.

If there is a positive note in the study, it's this: Obama's arrival is an enormous opportunity. Antagonist nations such as Venezuela and Bolivia have paused in their predictable criticism of Washington. Financial leaders such as Brazil and Mexico, already on good terms, are eager to deepen ties.

One suggestion in the study calls for approving a free-trade pact with Colombia to shore up the country's economy and send a continentwide message of cooperation. It could be an early test of Obama's thinking as he morphs from free-trade critic on the campaign trail to international policymaker in the White House.

Common sense and self-interest both argue for a fresh focus on Latin America. Washington should use a change in presidents to plan new directions.